Chapter 31

PALOMA

“We cannot stay in here all day,” Atox says the next morning when we wake in our chamber. “There’s work to be done.”

“Starting with retrieving what’s left of my dress.” We shared a wonderful night together, but for some reason my nerves are getting the best of me this morning.

He runs a finger from my belly up my chest where his hand rests between my breasts, taking the same path as his knife last night when he shredded my clothes.

“I like having you naked and waiting in my bed.”

“You will have plenty of that, Grak, but you have people to lead and I have… well, not much to keep me busy. I need to find a job here so I can contribute.”

His hand moves to my belly. “The youngling I placed in you will keep you busy.”

“You don’t know if I’m pregnant yet. Or if I’ll ever be. Who told you our species are compatible, anyway?”

“The cendagi.”

My jaw drops open, but he pushes it closed with a finger.

“They’re here?”

“After we arrived, they visited. They told us of the other species here and said we are all compatible.”

“How would they know?”

“This is a question they would not answer.”

“There are only a few ways they’d know, and most of them include experimenting on people.” I shudder at the thought of being a lab rat. “If I don’t conceive, can you truly be happy knowing you have no children?”

He grabs me from behind, his hard length pressing against my bare ass. “You are mine now. No matter what.”

“Answer the question, Atox. Can you be happy?”

“I’ve already spoken with Verig and appointed him my heir. I’ve given it much thought, Paloma. Even if we have a male youngling, I will not make him grak unless he is suited to it. Not all males are destined to be warriors. Like Sojek. My people need a strong leader. They will have that in Verig.”

His father. This has to do with him.

I turn in Atox’s arms. “Thank you for moving past the mistakes of your father and doing what is best for your…I mean our… people.”

“Atox?” a warrior calls from beyond our door. “We have intruders on the southern border.”

“Ready my gorja,” Atox orders.

“Already done. Sojek holds your gorja at the entrance to the mountain.”

Atox squeezes one of my breasts before kissing below my ear, sending a pleasant chill through me. “No one will ever see this gorgeous body again except me,” he says as he reaches into his trunk and hands me one of his shirts. “Stay close to the mountain.”

“Be safe,” I say as he heads out.

After dressing in his shirt, which hangs on me like a dress, I take a deep breath, hold my head high, and walk through the tunnels. When I emerge from the mountain, the sunlight shines as bright as ever and the scent of fires greet me.

Orcs of all ages move about, carrying wood, skinning animals, salting meat to preserve in one of the mountain’s cold chambers, and performing countless other chores, like on any other day. Several glance at me, others ignore me entirely as I head to Ossa’s work station.

It’s all very…normal. Those who do look at me, do so with no awkward expressions, laughter, giggles, or reactions out of the ordinary. It’s as if last night never happened.

“I have a new sister,” Ossa says, her eyes running up and down me scrutinizing how Atox’s shirt hangs on me. I could fit another person in here with me.

“A new sister,” I repeat, and suddenly my thoughts return to Camila, Marta, and Renata. I miss them so much.

“You’re not pleased to have me as a sister?” Ossa says.

“What? Oh! I am pleased. I was thinking about my sisters. I wonder if I’ll ever see them again.”

She nods. “Atox will not keep you from them.”

“What if he doesn’t like them and wants to keep them away from me?”

“Are they as stubborn as you?” Ossa asks.

“Cami can be. Marta and Renata not so much.”

“Then he will like them.”

“Excuse me?”

“You do not see it, do you, Pawloma? The reason Atox chose you.”

“He didn’t choose me. I was given to him as part of the agreement.”

“He could have given you to any of his warriors in his place. Instead, he chose to keep you for himself.”

“I assumed that’s because he’s a leader who doesn’t ask anything of his men that he won’t do himself.”

“Nonsense. A grak will send a warrior to his death if necessary and have no remorse. Atox saw something in you he needed, even if he didn’t understand what that was.”

“My stubbornness? I think that aggravates him more than anything.”

“It challenges him to be better. To do better. And that is what Atox wants more than anything.”

“He wants to be better than his father.”

Ossa nods, then lifts her chin. “Come, I will introduce you to Keenja who has returned from Totha.”

“Totha?”

“One of our other mountains.”

“This isn’t the only one where orcs live?”

“You humans are adaptable but limited in your thinking. We are thousands in number, Pawloma, and spread out among many mountains. It is a matter of safety and strategy.

We walk as I consider this new information. New Earth is small in comparison to the orc nation. The more I understand the orcs’ situation, the less I believe I’ll be able to stop the future trade of human women.

For the first time since having sex with Atox, I rub my belly truly hoping I can conceive and give him a child. Our child would grow up cherished here. And Atox would be a wonderful father because he truly cares about everyone, including me. But I can’t let anyone else go through what I did. There has to be a better way.

ATOX IM GRAK

“How many?”I ask Verig as I meet him on the southern border of our territory.

“Four, maybe five. Urik and Nevix chased but lost them.

I snarl. “Which colony?”

“They looked human, but bigger than most we’ve seen. It’s possible the cendagi have brought more humans to Kovos. More males this time.”

“My female mentioned a ship would arrive soon. If they’re sending males now, it means they won’t have as much need for our protection.”

“And they won’t give us the females they promised.”

“They will. We have a treaty. I will see to it, or they will regret crossing me.”

“We should collect the females now. Before the humans challenge us.”

“Let them challenge us. They cannot stand up to our warriors.”

“Would you kill the family of your female?”

Vekk, I hadn’t considered that.